COSCO Shipping vessels still turned back from the Strait of Hormuz after securing guarantees in Iran

Investing.com – According to ship-tracking data, on Friday two Chinese container ships turned around and returned to port after attempting to sail out of the bay via the Strait of Hormuz, despite Iran having previously said that Chinese vessels could pass through the waterway.

Analysis from the Kpler data platform shows that the two vessels are China Ocean Shipping (COSCO) Ocean Shipping Lines’ India Ocean and North Arctic vessels, both registered in Hong Kong and operated by China’s COSCO Shipping. They attempted to pass through the strait at 03:50 GMT on Friday, but then reversed course.

Since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israel-Iran war on Feb. 28, these ships have been stuck in the bay region.

In a customer notice dated March 25, COSCO Shipping said it has resumed booking services for general cargo containers from Asia to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Iraq.

Friday’s incident marked the first attempt by major shipping groups to pass through the strait since the start of the war. Kpler analyst Rebecca Gerdes said the incident shows that “safe passage cannot be guaranteed.”

On Wednesday, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said in a tweet that Iran “allows friendly countries including China, Russia, India, Iraq, and Pakistan” to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

On Friday, data on the LSEG platform showed that both ships were broadcasting messages on their AIS vessel-tracking systems, stating that the vessels are owned by Chinese shipowners and their crew.

COSCO Shipping’s parent company, headquartered in Shanghai, has not yet commented on the matter.

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